By JAKE SORIANO

DESPITE a drop in the number of smokers, the Philippines still needs to adopt “more drastic measures” to further reduce tobacco use, said an anti-smoking advocate and cancer survivor.

Emer Rojas, who uses an electrolarynx and is described as a walking graphic health warning against smoking, said measures such as raising the minimum legal age for cigarette buyers to 21 and prohibiting the sale of cigarettes by the stick would dramatically reduce consumption.

Emer Rojas is the global cancer ambassador for the Philippines.  (File photo)

In the Philippines, the minimum legal sale age for tobacco products is 18 years old. The country is one of only a few places where cigarettes are peddled by the stick.

“More drastic measures must be adopted to be at par with worldwide trends,” Rojas told VERA Files.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in March reported a decline in tobacco use globally.

In its Global Report on Trends in Tobacco Smoking, the WHO projected the number of non-smokers aged 15 years above to increase from 78 percent of the world population in 2010 to 81 percent by 2025.

“Non-smoking is becoming the new norm worldwide,” it said in a news release.

In the Philippines, it estimated that around 28 percent of the population smoked in 2010 and projected this to decrease to 21 percent by 2025.

“A survey conducted late last year shows that tobacco prevalence among the youth was reduced by three percent presumably because of higher cigarette prices due to the sin tax law,” noted Rojas.

Himself once a heavy smoker, Rojas was diagnosed with throat cancer, lost his natural voice, and now speaks through an electrolarynx.

He is now a global cancer ambassador and president of the New Vois Association of the Philippines, a nonprofit advocating for cancer support, tobacco control and rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Rojas also represents the PWD sector to the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

In its report, the WHO has called tobacco “the only legal drug that kills many of its users when used exactly as intended by manufacturers.”

It said tobacco use is associated with ill-health, disability, chronic diseases and death.

It estimated that some six million people worldwide die every year because of tobacco use, with many of the deaths premature.

Last March, the Department of Health and Department of Finance bagged the Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Global Tobacco Control during the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi.

The award honors the work of governments and nonprofits in implementing tobacco control measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Health groups lauded the win.

“This award to the Philippines recognizes the government’s compliance with its obligations under the FCTC and is both a pat on the back for protecting public health by increasing tobacco taxes but also a challenge to sustain the gains of the sin tax law,” said Ulysses Dorotheo, FCTC program director of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).

“The sin tax law (RA 10351) is a life-saving measure that is recognized worldwide. We are glad that the country has become a global role model for increasing tobacco taxes,” said Irene Reyes, managing director of nonprofit HealthJustice.

President Benigno Aquino III signed RA 10351 in December 2012.

Despite the gains, problems remain in the fight for tobacco control in the country and worldwide.

Rojas said the Philippines still ranks among the highest in Southeast Asian in smoking prevalence, with cigarette prices in the country among the cheapest.

Globally, the WHO has noted “an ominous trend” in tobacco control resistance by industries.

Said WHO Director General Margaret Chan: “In some countries the battle between tobacco and health has moved into the courts.”

“Governments wishing to protect their citizens through larger pictorial warnings on cigarette packs or by introducing plain packaging are being intimidated by industry’s threats of lengthy and costly litigation,” Chan added.

Said Rojas, the graphic health warning law, once fully implemented in the Philippines, may further reduce tobacco use.

“Let us all help in saving lives through life-saving health measures,” he said.

A PERSON with disability (PWD) is among the first batch of high school graduates who are beneficiaries of the government’s PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). And she graduated with honors.

Edy Rose proudly showing off her medals. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)

Seventeen-year-old Edy Rose Tayab, born with no feet and left hand, finished ninth in her class in a school in Bukidnon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said in a news release.

“Edy Rose still manages to walk using her underdeveloped lower limbs without crutches,” it said.

“Everyday, she travels approximately three kilometers from her home in Barangay Butong to the Apayao National High School, a challenge she hurdled to finish her secondary education.”

An honor student since elementary, Tayabis one of the more than 330,000 student beneficiaries nationwide of the government’s flagship anti-poverty program to graduate this year.

The program provides cash grants to poor households on condition children are enrolled in schools and taken to health centers for regular checkups.

The DSWD calls this year’s commencement season a “milestone” in the implementation of 4Ps, it being the first time student beneficiaries finished high school.

To celebrate the event, the DSWD held last April 9 a post-graduation event at the Philippine International Convention Center dubbed “PagtataposNyo, Tagumpayng Pilipino.”A second leg is to be held on April 23at the Araneta Coliseum.

A total of 153,470 beneficiaries who graduated from high school are from Luzon, including close to 22,000 from Metro Manila, while 74,182 are from the Visayas, and 106,021 from Mindanao.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman herself commended Edy Rose Tayabfor her achievement, according to the news release.

“Pinapakita niya na hindi hadlang ang kapansanan at kahirapan sa tagumpay basta’t may determinasyon (She showed us that disability or poverty is not an obstacle if one is determined to succeed),” Soliman said.

Tayab, who loves Mathematics and plans to study business and accountancy in college, thanked the government for helping send her to school through 4Ps.

“Gusto kong patunayan na kaya ko din gawin ang ginagawa ng mga taong walang kapansanan (I want to prove that I can also do what other people without disabilities can do),” the DSWD quoted her as saying.

National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga also congratulated all graduates with disabilities.

“Wow! That is something you should be proud of because you passed not because of your disability but because you are capable,” she posted on the Facebook group of the council.

The Pantawid Program is one of the government’s social protection programs but it does not target PWDs specifically.

In fact, some conditions attached to it are not appropriate for some PWDs, according to a 2014 paper commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH) with assistance from the Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organization.

“Required education attendance and health care checks may not be appropriate for some PWDs due to multiple barriers in accessing education and health facilities,” it noted, recommending that conditions be dropped for PWDs.

More than 4.4 million households are recipients of the 4Ps as of March 2015, according to the DSWD. When the program started in 2007, only more than 7,000 households were registered. It was expanded in 2013 to include high school students from 15 to 18 years old. – Jake Soriano

PWD TOBACCO (Fil)
AKP/apr-16-2015

Nananawagan ang isang global cancer ambassador na magkraroon ng mas striktong regulasyon sa pagbebenta ng sigarilyo sa bansa.

Nagmungkahi ng dalawang paraan si Emer Rojas upang mabawasan ang paninigarilyo.

Ang una ay ang pagtaas ng minimum legal age ng mga maaring bumili ng sigarilyo mula 18 sa 21. Ang pangalawa ay ang pagbabawal ng pagbebenta ng tingi-tingi.

Si Rojas ay isang larynx cancer survivor at nakakapagsalita na lamang gamit ang electrolarynx. Siya rin ang kasalukuyang president ng New Vois Assiciation of the Philippines.

Ayon sa isang pagsusuri, nasa 28 porsiyento ng mga Pilipino ang naninigarilyo noong 2010. Ang bilang na ito ay inaasahang bumaba pa.

(end)

PWD TOBACCO (Eng)
AKP/apr-16-2015

A PWD rights advocate is pushing for stricter rules on cigarette sales in the country to curb consumption.

Emer Rojas, himself a person with disability who speaks through an electrolarynx, proposes two ways to reduce cigarette consumption.

The first is to raise the minimum legal age for cigarette buyers from 18 to 21. The second is to disallow the sale of cigarettes per stick.

Rojas, a larynx cancer survivor, is a global cancer ambassador and president of the New Vois Association of the Philippines.

In 2010, it was estimated that 28 percent of Filipinos smoked.

(end)

By JAKE SORIANO

THE head of the country’s disability council has this to say to companies that hire PWDs as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs: “We don’t want that.”

“No. It should not be part of your CSR program. It should be a part of your recruitment policy,” declared Carmen Zubiaga, acting executive director of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA).

NCDA Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga tells companies hiring PWDs should not just be part of their CSR programs.

Zubiaga made the statement on Wednesday, during an employers’ conference that gathered PWD leaders and advocates, representatives from government agencies, and various private companies.

CSR programs make PWDs beneficiaries instead of part of the work environment, the NCDA head pointed out.

“We want that you hire a person with disability because it’s a part…of your company policy,” she said. “You hire them because they are qualified, and not because they are a person with disability for your corporate image.”

The employers’ conference, organized by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) and the nonprofit Resources for the Blind (RBI), aims to help create better employment opportunities for PWDs.

Advocates have long been bemoaning the lack of job options for the sector, which is among the most vulnerable in society.

“CSR is not a stable program. It can change. It can vary,” said Zubiaga, adding that in the long term, it would not be beneficial for PWDs.

“After the program, what?”

Joy Cevallos-Garcia of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, a rehabilitation and skills training center for persons with orthopedic disabilities, agreed with Zubiaga’s sentiment.

“We don’t want charity. We don’t want pity. We want to prove that you can be profitable even if you hire persons with disabilities,” she said.

She also noted that the number of PWDs is increasing because of work-related incidents.

“As an employer, you should be able to do something about this one,” she said. A return-to-work policy for an employee who was disabled while at work should be adopted, Cevallos-Garcia added.

In encouraging companies to hire PWDs, Ana Arce of SDEAS, discussed her research on “PWD gain,” an expansion of a recent approach to deafness called “deaf gain.”

Explained Arce, who is herself deaf, in this approach one is seen as “gaining” deafness instead of “losing” hearing.

When applied to the workplace, being deaf or having a disability in general is seen as having their distinct advantages, said Arce.

Deaf people, for example, can communicate in long distances or even through barriers like glass walls, and are not distracted by noise at work.

PWD sector representative to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Emer Rojas identified some of the challenges that persist in PWD employment.

These include communication barriers, accessibility of work places and facilities like restrooms, inadequate skills among PWD job applicants, and lack of sensitivity.

Rojas said the sector is now anchoring its hopes for sustainable economic development on Executive Order (EO) 417, or the Economic Independence Program for PWDs, whose implementing rules and regulations were signed in March this year.

EO 417, among others, mandates that government bodies procure 10 percent of their required goods and services from PWD cooperatives and organizations. (See Seize economic opportunities provided by law, PWDs told)

Also during the employers’ conference, PWDs who have been successfully employed shared their experiences.

Among them is Irene Santiago Matias, who has low vision and now works for Genashtim, a company that specializes in online support services and where employees can work from home.

Before landing her current job, Matias said she had been looking for a stable work for seven years.

“It was really an ordeal,” she said.

Her experience is shared by many PWDs.

A 2013 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) noted that despite favorable institutional and legal environment for the sector, the quality of employment still needs improvement.

Some of the findings of the PIDS study are that roughly half of the working PWDs it surveyed are underemployed; that the majority of employed respondents are considered vulnerable workers, i.e. self-employed or unpaid family workers; and that some who are wage workers are informally employed, are temporary workers or are hired on a seasonal or daily basis.

Private companies who sent represented to the employers’ conference include McCann Worldgroup Philippines, ANZ, Shell Business Operations and Accenture.

Jacqueline Lucero of Bid Ocean, a company that has experience hiring PWDs, said that they had to scratch out a lot of standard procedures to accommodate more PWDs, particularly deaf applicants.

While admitting it tested both her patience and that of her PWD hires, Lucero said she ultimately found the experience rewarding.

4Ps PWD (Eng)
AKP/apr-17-2015

Edy Rose Tayab, born without feet and left hand is one of the top 10 students of her high school.

The 17-year-old person with disability is a recent graduate of the Apayao National High School in Bukidnon.

She is among the more than 300,000 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. She belongs to the first batch of high school graduates who received financial assistance through conditional cash transfer.

Tayab, who can walk with underdeveloped lower limbs, made it to school everyday by traveling three kilometers from her home.

She says that she wants to prove that a person with disability like her can do what non-PWDs can.

Tayab, an honor student since elementary, plans to study business and accountancy in college.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development implements 4Ps.

(end)

4Ps PWD (Fil)
AKP/apr-17-2015

Ipinanganak na walang mga paa at kaliwang kamay si Edy Rose Tayab at siya ay nagtapos na ika-siyam sa kanyang klase.

Ang 17-taong-gulang na may kapansanan ay isa sa mga nagtapos sa Apayao National High School sa Bukidnon ngayong taon.

Isa siya sa mahigit 300,000 na benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program o 4Ps. Kabilang din siya sa kauna-unahang grupo ng mga mag-aaral ng high school na nakatanggap ng tulong pinansiyal mula sa programa.

Wala man siyang mga paa, nagagamit pa rin ni Tayab ang kanyang mga binti sa paglalakad ng tatlong kilometro papuntang eskwelahan araw-araw.

Ayon sa kanya, gusto niyang patunayan na kayang gawin ng taong may kapansanan ang mga nagagawa ng walang kapansanan.

Balak nyang ipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral sa kolehiyo at kumuha ng kurso sa business at accountancy.

Ang Department of Social Welfare and Development ang nagpapatupad sa 4Ps.

(end)

PWD CSR (Eng)
AKP/apr-18-2015

Persons with disabilities should be hired because it is a company’s recruitment policy, says the head of the National Council on Disability Affairs.

N-C-D-A Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga says P-W-Ds should not be hired merely as part of corporate social responsibility because that is only temporary.

Zubiaga spoke at the employers’ conference Wednesday.

(VOICE CLIP: CARMEN ZUBIAGA, NCDA OIC Executive Director)

***************************************************************

In Cue: It’s not the disability but the ability…

Out Cue: …for your corporate image.

***************************************************************

(end)

PWD CSR (Fil)
AKP/apr-18-2015

Ang pagbibigay ng trabaho sa mga may kapansanan ay dapat mag-ugat sa polisiya ng isang organisasyon o kumpanya.

Ito ang naging pahayag ni Carmen Zubiaga, ang acting Executive Director ng National Council on Disability Affairs nitong Miyerkules.

Ayon kay Zubiaga, kapag nabigyan ng trabaho ang may kapansanan dahil lamang sa social corporate responsibility, ito ay panandalian lamang.

(VOICE CLIP: CARMEN ZUBIAGA, NCDA OIC Executive Director)

***************************************************************

In Cue: It’s not the disability but the ability…

Out Cue: …for your corporate image.

***************************************************************

(end)

By JAKE SORIANO

PWDs travel too.

The head of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) reminded the country’s transportation department this, as she called for a more accessible and inclusive public transport system for the sector.

“Kasi akala nila(They probably think) persons with disabilities are not traveling, or persons with disabilities are not going places,” a combative Carmen Zubiaga said at a forum last week.

NCDA is the lead government agency on issues that concern the PWD sector. Photo by MARIO IGNACIO IV

She also reminded the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) of the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Since the country adopted the UN Convention, there has been considerable change in the recognition and inclusion of PWDs in society, noted Zubiaga.

“Many establishments (are now) complying with the accessibility law, except the transport sector,” declared the NCDA acting executive director.

“Hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin tayong (Until now, we still don’t have an) accessible transport for persons with disabilities. May MRT, sira naman yung elevator (There’s the metro rail transit system, but with non-working elevators).”

“The good news is gagawin na daw iyong comfort room. Hindi iyong elevator (It’s good that they’re fixing the lavatories. But not the elevators).”

Another advocate for the rights of persons with orthopedic disabilities also bemoaned the public transport situation in the country and its impact on daily wage earners.

“Magkano ang (How much is the) minimum wage?” asked Joy Cevallos-Garcia of the nonprofit Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.

“Magkano pamasahe mo? Kailangan naka-taxi ka, walang transport system ang Pilipinas (How much would you spend for transportation? Of course you would need to take a cab because there is no accessible public transport system in the country).”

Cevallos-Garcia said that a PWD riding a cab to work everyday from Cainta to Ortigas, for example, would be forking out an estimated P150 each way.

“Pag ma-traffic pa, mas lalo (And it gets more expensive when traffic is bad), she said at the same forum. “Magkano na lang ang natira sa ‘yo (So how much is left of your daily wage)?”

As signatory to the UN Convention, the Philippines has agreed to ensure the access of PWDs to public transportation, among others.

The country is also mandated to “develop, promulgate and monitor the implementation of minimum standards and guidelines for the accessibility of facilities and services.”

DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya last November signed a department order that provides for the said minimum standards and guidelines to make public transportation accessible to PWDs.

Among the general requirements of that order for public transportation are designated seats for PWDs, clear and proper identification of designated seats and modification or renovation of existing public transport utilities if this is feasible.

The DOTC also ordered that no permit for the construction or renovation of public and private buildings and structures for public transportation will be granted unless barrier-free facilities and accessibility features are met.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), an attached agency of the DOTC, earlier this year rolled out pink buses, jeepneys and cabs which would give priority to PWDs, as well as the elderly, women and children.

These pink vehicles, however, only ply certain routes on certain hours of the day.

Zubiaga said that the NCDA is still pressing the DOTC to have “a national plan of action on inclusive transport” through consultations.

The council has gathered 50,000 signatures in support of accessible and inclusive transport and presented this to the DOTC, she added.

“With the growing participation of persons with disabilities in society and the clamor for change, hopefully we can make things better, maybe in three to five years from now,” said Zubiaga.

The NCDA head also urged the sector to actively campaign for an accessible transport system.

“We have to show our force to the transport duty bearers so they (can) come up with prompt action regarding this issue.”

PWD TRANSPO (Fil)
AKP/apr-24-2015

Mahirap maglakbay ang mga may kapansanan sa ating bansa dahil di angkop sa kanilang pangangailangan ang pampublikong transportasyon.

Ito ang saad ng pinuno ng National Council on Disability Affairs na si Carmen Zubiaga.

Ayon dito, kailangan ng Department of Transportation and Communication na ipatupad sa mga pampublikong sasakyan ang serbisyong PWD-friendly.

Ipinaalala ni Zubiaga sa D-O-T-C na lumalabas din ng bahay ang mga P-W-D, pero hirap sila sa pagbiyahe.

Ang mga bus ay walang wheelchair lift, at kung sila naman ay gagamit ng tren, parati namang sira ang elevator papunta sa sakayan.

Dahil dito, mapipilitang mag-taxi ang mga P-W-D, lalo na ang mga gumagamit ng wheelchair.

Lubhang mahal ang pamasahe sa taxi, kumpara sa bus, jeep o tren, lalo na kung ang sasakay ay isang regular na empleyado sa siyudad.

(end)

PWD TRANSPO (Eng)
AKP/apr-24-2015

Establishments here are slowly becoming PWD-friendly, but the transport sector has yet to catch up.

National Council on Disability Affairs Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga says the country has yet to provide accessible transportation for persons with disabilities.

She reminds the Department of Transportation and Communication that P-W-Ds do travel. Yet public transport service does not make it easy for them.

Buses, for instance, do not provide wheelchair lifts, while elevators going up train stations are always out of service.

Because of this, P-W-Ds, especially wheelchair users, need to ride a cab to work, and that costs a lot of money.

Last November, D-O-T-C released a department order indicating minimum standards and guidelines for accessible transportation.

The Philippines is also a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of P-W-Ds.

(end)

Text and photos by JAKE SORIANO

The Philippines until now has no accessible public transport for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Advocates lament this sad fact, and are calling for a more PWD-friendly and inclusive system for the sector. After all, PWDs travel too. (See Public transport still not PWD-friendly – advocates)

As signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the country has a commitment to ensure the access of PWDs to public transportation, they point out.

“Many establishments (are now) complying with the accessibility law,” says National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) acting executive director Carmen Zubiaga.

To a certain extent, that is. “Except the transport sector,” she adds.

What then does a PWD-accessible public transport system look like? What features make it friendly to the sector? What about the other public facilities?

These photos, taken from five different cities overseas, offer a glimpse of how PWDs can be assisted and can guide public and private sector planners on how to build PWD-friendly facilities.

Munich Airport, which ranks among the best in the world, provides mobility assistance services for passengers.

Barcelona’s El Prat Airport does not only have restrooms for PWDs, but these restrooms also have signs in Braille.

Although relatively small and less busy compared to other airports in Germany, Berlin’s Tegel Airport has seats reserved for PWDs.

Trains in Zurich are easy for persons using wheelchairs to get in and out of because there are no gaps between platforms and carriages.

Zurich Airport, also one of the world’s best, displays prominent directions to special assistance desks.

Barcelona metro trains have areas reserved and designed for PWDs, providing enough space for wheelchairs and even seat belts.

Ramps for wheelchairs on Barcelona roads are wide enough and are prominently marked.

Not only does the famous Louvre Museum in Paris have lifts, but it also provides free admission for PWD visitors and one assistor.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport provides different forms of assistance to passengers with disabilities.

The good news is NAIA’s restrooms are now being constructed, although elevators remain a problem.

PH ACCESSIBILITY (Fil)
AKP/may-15-2015

Taong 1983 noong isinabatas ang accessibility law o Batas Pambasa 344 ng Pilipinas, pero hirap pa rin magbyahe ang mga may kapansanan hanggang ngayon.

Samantala, nitong mga 2000 lamang naipasa ang accessibility law ng Spain at Germany pero hindi na nahihirapang mag-byahe ang mga may kapansanan doon.

Ito ay dahil sa tulong ng mga mobility services katulad ng mga help desk para sa mga persons with disabilities at ang madaling pagsakay sa kanilang mga bus at tren.

Dito sa Pilipinas, hirap makasakay sa tren ang mga PWD dahil madalas sira ang mga elevators papunta sa sakayan ng tren. Hindi rin pwedeng isakay ang mga wheelchair sa mga bus dahil walang mga lifts at paglalagyan nito.

Ito ang dahilan ng panawagan ng PWD sector sa Department of Transportation and Communication na ayusin na ang sistema ng transportasyon.

(end)

PH ACCESSIBILITY (Eng)
AKP/may-15-2015

The Philippine accessibility law or Batas Pambansa 344 is 32 years old, but Filipinos with disabilities still cannot travel conveniently.

In contrast, Spain and Germany passed accessibility laws in early 2000 but the mobility of PWDs there is no longer an issue.

PWDs in Europe are enabled with mobility services like help desks and easy access to transportation.

Filipino PWDs cannot take the train because elevators are always out of service. Neither can wheelchair users board buses because of the absence of lifts and designated spaces.

This is why PWD groups are reminding the Department of Transportation and Communication about the standards for accessible transportation.

National Council on Disability Affairs Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga says that the country’s transportation sector needs to catch up.

(end)

Lester Lagos shares his story with deaf student athletes at the Cebu City Sports Complex. Photo by JOHN PAUL ECARMA MAUNES

By JOHN PAUL ECARMA MAUNES and JAKE SORIANO

CEBU CITY – Deaf triathlete Lester Lagos remembers that afternoon in Cebu very well.

Visiting a training session of deaf student athletes after taking part in an international triathlon competition in Cebu, he was deeply disheartened to see them practice barefoot, and without the proper sports gear or even a coach to provide mentorship.

An accomplished athlete, the 31-year-old Lagos was convinced the young runners had immense potential but were hindered by inadequate facilities and lack of institutional support.

So he quickly gathered the students with hearing disability and gave them advice about proper running form and techniques.

“Just be you and do what you want to do,” he told them.

“Never think of yourself as inferior or as a disabled person.”

Lagos shared his own story to the student athletes that afternoon. He was five years old when he got sick, he told them. What started as high fever eventually led to his deafness.

“As a deaf person, I am blessed,” he tells VERA Files. He recognizes that not everyone had the same family support that he had growing up.

This family support is what he credits for his being an accomplished athlete, and having an impressive academic record as well.

Without needing a sign language interpreter, Lagos finished secondary mainstream college at the Assumption English School in Singapore.

After this, he took three more courses, first in multimedia arts, then in culinary arts and finally in anti-gravity yoga, a type of fitness exercise that combines yoga and aerial acrobatics.

He became the first-ever internationally certified deaf anti-gravity yoga instructor in the world, counting among his clients local actress Judy Ann Santos.

But it was in sports that Lagos truly made his mark, both as an athlete and later as an advocate for giving support to athletes with disabilities.

Lester Lagos is the only deaf triathlete to participate in the prestigious international event Iron Man 70.3 in Cebu and in Subic Bay. Photo from IRON MAN 70.3

He has been a competitive swimmer for 20 years both locally and internationally, and was part of the Philippine Swim League coached by former Olympian Susan Papa.

He also excels in triathlon, and is in fact the only deaf triathlete to participate in the prestigious international event Iron Man 70.3 in Cebu and in Subic Bay.

Because of his achievements, Lagos was awarded in 2013 Most Outstanding PWD by the government of Makati City, where he now resides.

Not content with those accomplishments, he founded in January 2014 his own non-profit, the Philippine Aquatic Sports Federation, to properly train deaf children in swimming and running by providing them with access to much needed training equipment, among others.

On top of this, he also gives free training to impoverished deaf children in special education (SPED) centers in Manila.

In doing all these, Lagos says he hopes to help the next generation of athletes who are hindered not so much by their disabilities but by the lack of financial and institutional support.

In 2012, VERA Files reported that the Filipino Paralympians who participated in the games in London had to scrounge for monetary support after receiving only P2 million from the government. (Read No medals for Ph Paralympians)

In a forum last January, Sen. Sonny Angara said that he would push for sufficient government funding for the country’s paralympics athletes.

“Kaso ang problema, iyong regular na atleta, hindi nakakakuha ng suporta. Pano pa kaya iyong mga atletang may kapansanan (But the problem is that even athletes without disabilities do not get enough support; what more athletes with disabilities),” the senator said.

Also earlier this year, athletes participating in the Special Olympics in July sought help for their roundtrip air tickets to Los Angeles. In previous years, financial woes had led to athletes dropping out of the competition. (Read LA-bound ‘special’ Olympians seek help for airfares)

For deaf athletes meanwhile, besides financial worries is the problem of being excluded and not being able to compete at all in national sports events as the Palarong Pambansa.

That afternoon Lagos spent with the deaf athletes from Cebu ended with high fives and warm hugs.

Along with other advocates, he submitted a proposal to the Cebu City government to fund swimming trainings for deaf students. He says he has yet to hear back from local officials.

Lagos says that he simply cannot bear to see young athletes with so much potential left to train all by themselves.

“This situation is adding insult to injury,” he says.

“Setting the disability aside, you will see athletes with full potentials.”

LLAGOS (Fil)
AKP/may-19-2015

Hindi madali para sa mga may kapansanang atleta ang makakuha ng suportang pinansyal. Kahit ang mga lumalahok sa Special Olympic World Games ay humihingi ng tulong.

Malaking bagay na ang isang binging atleta ay tumutulong sa kapwa niyang atletang may kapansanan.

Itinatag ni Lester Lagos ang Philippine Aquatic Sports Federation noong 2014 para sa mga batang bingi na manlalangoy at mananakbo.

Ang organisasyon ay namimigay din ng mga training equipment.

Nais ni Lagos, na isa ring kilalang manlalangoy at mananakbo, na makatulong sa bagong henerasyon ng mga atletang may kapansan.

(end)

LLAGOS (Eng)
AKP/may-19-2015

Rallying support for athletes with disabilities, even those taking part in Paralympic and Special Olympic Games, has always been challenging.

But thanks to people like Lester Lagos, there is hope for young, talented athletes with disabilities with little or no financial support.

A deaf athlete and himself an accomplished swimmer and runner, Lagos founded the Philippine Aquatic Sports Federation in January 2014.

The nonprofit organization trains deaf children in swimming and running and provides PWD athletes training equipment.  It’s his way of helping the next generation of PWD athletes who receive no institutional support.

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The 2015 Special Olympics World Games will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Photo by ARTHA KIRA PAREDES

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES

LOS ANGELES, California – Filipino-American Sarah Tayag Elaebrak, a 14-year-old Girl Scout cadette, will be spending the early weeks of her summer break volunteering for the Special Olympics Host Town Program of Santa Clarita.

She and 13 fellow scouts from her troop are going to make 150 welcome cards and will be sewing and assembling customized drawstring bags that Special Olympics athletes will be using.

“We are looking forward to interacting with them,” said Elaebrak, who enjoys competitive swimming and rock climbing.

Santa Clarita will serve as host town in July of the Special Olympics athletes from the Philippines, El Salvador, Faroe Islands and Malawi. Among the 143 participants from the four countries, 54 are from the Philippines.

Elaebrak says she feels a “personal connection” to the delegation from the Philippines because of her “mom and family.”

On the two occasions she went to her mother’s family home in the Philippines, she visited some places in Metro Manila, Baguio and Boracay.

Apart from Elaebrak, troop leader Tricia Cascione also has some kind of Philippine connection – her mother was born in Manila during World War II. Her grandfather was stationed in the country and was once a prisoner of war.

Cascione said that her mother loved the country, while she herself developed a liking for Filipino dishes like chicken adobo and egg rolls.

The troop leader said they have been preparing to host the delegates to the Special Olympics, training in First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), for instance. They also recently underwent a workshop that taught them about persons with disabilities or “people with differences.”

Debra Malinowski, another troop leader, said the cadettes know how to attend to people with special needs, and may lead different events because of their training.

The Host Town Program is a three-day pre-event activity for the Special Olympics World Games athletes from July 21 to 24. Aside from providing food, transportation and accommodations, 100 host towns, cities and civic organizations plan cultural activities that will allow participants to get to know their host communities.

Tricia Cascione (in white) and Debra Malinowski (in V-neck shirt) head Girl Scout troops 1672 and 6412, respectively. Photo by RAY DEL ROSARIO

Based on the latest report of Host Town Chairperson Jackie Hartmann, Santa Clarita has received a total of $12,300 donations in kind and $34,600 in cash for the Host Town Program.

Eighty-three Girl Scouts from 11 troops, including Cascione’s, will be rendering 3,500 hours of service working on several activities, like preparing gift bags and other supplies the participants would be needing.

They all will also be decorating function halls and assisting participants during different events, such as a scheduled parade inside the Westfield Valencia Town Center shopping mall and a picnic at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park.

The service the scouts are to offer will allow the 8th and 9th graders in Cascione’s troop to earn the Silver Award or “the highest they can earn as cadettes,” but beyond that, members know that they will learn something from the experience.

Melissa Dewey, 14, appreciates the “opportunity to help” while Joanna Veres, also 14, views it a chance to show acceptance and how to treat people equally because she says treating PWDs differently is “the same as being racist or sexist.”

Troop members Jacqueline Cascione and Emily Nalinowski, both 14, say they admire athletes with special needs because of their “happy disposition” and how they are able to cheer for one another during games while maintaining a competitive spirit.

The Special Olympics World Games will be held in Los Angeles, California from July 25 to August 2.

Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912 on the belief that “all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally and spiritually,” and work toward the “goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environments into community service and the open air.”

Stakeholders want PWDs to enjoy “accessible tourism for all.” (Photo from Official Gazette)

By JAKE SORIANO

THE “Visit the Philippines” 2015 campaign is well underway and those involved in the program are working to ensure that persons with disabilities will also get to enjoy the best the country has to offer.

Stakeholders from the tourism, transportation and disability sectors are pushing for measures to pursue what they call “accessible tourism for all.”

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) last week held in Legazpi City a one-day seminar for personnel who provide frontline tourism services to the general public, including PWDs.

Among the participants were front desk personnel of hotels and restaurants, tour guides and transport operators, and owners of souvenir shops.

The seminar provided participants an avenue to learn and practise the right ways of handling customers with disabilities such as persons with mobility, hearing and visual impairments, among others, the NCDA said in a news release.

Acting Executive Director Carmen Zubiaga said, “These include lectures and demonstrations on basic courtesies, handling their special needs and such other concerns required by the customer-PWDs.”

In a separate interview, Zubiaga told VERA Files that the seminar is part of a series of trainings nationwide to improve tourism for PWDs.

The head of the NCDA had earlier said that the tourism and transportation departments of the country should “look at accessibility as an investment towards economic growth.”

The tourism industry has seen positive developments in the first quarter of the year, with the DOT reporting a 6.26 percent growth in tourist arrivals, or 1.39 million visitors over last year’s 1.31 million for the same period.

“Auguring well for the tourism industry is the consistent positive growth in visitor arrivals from January to March,” the tourism department noted in its website.

“Everyone will benefit (from accessible) tourism, including persons with disabilities,” said Zubiaga in an earlier forum.

“They are also tourists.”

The NCDA, she said, is actively campaigning for more accessible air transport.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) this month announced that it would create a new classification for public utility vehicles (PUVs) serving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports in the country.

Higher capacity vehicles with improved service levels and enhanced features would fall under this category, it said in a news release.

“Airport buses will be required to comply with improved service levels, such as being equipped with on-board closed-circuit television cameras, global positioning system (GPS) devices, automated bus arrival electronic displays, cashless or automated fare collection systems, and free wi-fi,” the release noted.

“Technical features such as low floor height within a range of 0.28 to 0.38 meters, as well as appropriate luggage compartments, will be required for passenger convenience.”

DOTC Sec. Jun Abaya said that the move is part of the department’s bus reform program, which seeks to improve the safety and convenience of arriving airline passengers, and boost mobility.

“These new bus categories are cost-effective solutions that can cut down travel time, aid in decongesting clogged streets, and enhance passenger experience through scheduled trips and orderly boarding and alighting procedures,” he said.